"Ghost Brothers of Darkland County"

Saban Theatre

In a Nutshell

Supernatural gothic musical from Stephen King, John Mellencamp, and T-Bone Burnett stirs audiences with a haunting story and rootsy score

The Fine Print

Promotional value expires Dec 5, 2014.Limit 8 per person. Valid only for option purchased. Use for admission at Saban Theatre on 12/4. Refundable only on day of purchase. Must purchase together to sit together. Doors open 1 hour before showtime. Merchant reserves the right to substitute closer seat assignment. For ADA accommodations, call box office immediately after purchase - availability is limited. Holder assumes all risk in connection with the event and releases Groupon, Ticketmaster, the venue and their affiliates from any related claims. Not redeemable on mobile app.Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.

Ghost Brothers of Darkland County

As history’s most successful writer of horror fiction, Stephen King is responsible for The Shining, Pet Sematary, and thus, many of the world’s nightmares. As one of the country’s most beloved heartland rockers, John Mellencamp is responsible for “Pink Houses,” “Jack And Diane,” and thus, the forbearer of Americana music. As one of roots music’s most respected producers, T-Bone Burnett is responsible for Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’ Raising Sand, and, most notably, the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. In a landmark artistic collaboration, these three artistic giants joined forces to create Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, with King playing the wordsmith, Mellencamp crafting the blues, gospel, and roots tunes, and Burnett giving them a sonic polish. First released as an album featuring Elvis Costello and Neko Case, then briefly staged in Atlanta, the re-vamped southern gothic musical is hitting the road for its second US tour. This staging of the musical features the talents of actor, writer, and producer Billy Burke (The Twilight Saga) and actress, writer, and singer Gina Gershon (Killer Joe, House of Versace, Boeing, Boeing) playing the lead roles of Joe McCandless and Monique McCandless.

The story is simple at first: two brothers in a tiny Mississippi town fight for the love of a lady. One is a novelist (reminiscent of King) and the other is a singer (shades of Mellencamp). They all die one night in a dilapidated cabin, but that’s just the beginning of the tale. How they died remains a mystery that becomes town folklore, until 40 years later when the ghosts come back to haunt their still living brother, Joe—the one person who saw them perish. Sensing that his own two sons are going down the same tragic path as their deceased uncles, he finally reveals what truly happened on that fateful night in the woods.

The stage tour, which director Susan Booth describes as a “gothic story-driven rock concert” is a haunting tale of fraternal love, lust, jealousy and revenge, with 16 performers and a four-piece musical ensemble made up of Mellencamp’s band. The result is a show designed to make audiences simultaneously tap their toes, shiver their timbers, and chew on their programs like stalks of straw.